[-empyre-] JC's post

[Lichty, Patrick]

J. Craig Freeman Writes:
This threat/promise is a context for experiments in augmented reality which allows us to overlay this virtual public sphere onto our experience of the physical, cultural world. It is important to keep in mind that the practices of the virtual public sphere have to be invented, just as the equipment is invented. What is the future of "We" in electracy?  It is open to invention. This week I hope to explore the potential of augmented reality as public art, mobile location based monuments and virtual memorials.

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Well, the first thing that I think of is having spoken with one of the protesters on Tahrir Square in Cairo when she visited my school last week.  She had mentioned that they had mapped out where all of the police where and what all of the escape routes were in case Mubarak decided to crack down.  So, consider this - could AR layers in the public spehere be used as tools for activism, with people dynamically reporting bottlenecks and trouble spots in real time via Layar?  Imagine there being an altercation and swinging up your phone and seeing the way out - very Max Headroom.  I see this happening though, and it could have been used quite well in Seattle.

But what about other applications, like JC's critical US/Mexican border project, or even critical issues regardin abandoned spaces?  All of this seems wide opemn for discussion.